Harlan floats to the ground and assumes solid form.
"Do we move closer as mist or scout first? I think we could sneak pretty close in mist form."
"But if we encounter danger, taking solid form is not quick. I think scouting in physical form is advised, sirs."
"Invisible and flying onto the roof. Don't use the entrances they are watching."
-Posted with Wayfinder
"I can make you invisible if need be."
"Me too."
-Posted with Wayfinder
Kiyomi nods and murmurs a brief song about cherry blossoms disappearing in the wind and Harlan, then herself, disappears.
Harlan quickly blesses the group with the ability to walk on air in physical form. He then casts Magic Circle Against Evil on himself and Shield Other on Heng.
Parity will cast resist cold, see invisibility, airwalk, bulls strength, keen edge, stoneskin
Using a series of nudges and whispers, Heng leads the invisible group towards the lodge, stopping a few feet above the southern door. The windows are too narrow for any but Harlan to slip through, and covered with patterned rice-paper, obscuring all but the light from within. The door is of good wooden construction.
The samurai patrol continues its circuit. They make no obvious notice of you.
"Would a distraction be of use?" If the answer is affirmative, Kiyomi sings a soft song of mayhem and uses mad monkeys!
She instructs them to swarm the patrol and make as much mayhem as they can!
The monkeys appear in a screeching, leaping swarm. They take the samurai completely by surprise, grabbing things and flinging them, jumping on and off their backs, and other sorts of mischief. With shouts of alarm mixed with the screeching monkeys, the samurai draw steel and try to fight off the swarm.
Kiyomi smiles as the swarm rampages, stealing and flinging, as monkeys do. "Heng-san, shall I go inside and open the door?" If he says yes, she shifts, becoming a fox, who bounds in through the window. Once inside, she changes into a woman again, and opens the door, undoing any latches or bolts.
Harlan flies in the direction indicated by Heng.
"Let's get in while the monkeys distract them!"
Kiyomi nods and follows where Heng points, shifting back and forth to slip in and open the door.
Parity quickly enters the area once Kiyomi opens the door, moving forward to set up a perimeter as fast as he can.
Malnival follows the blind man....
Slipping in through the western door, you enter a small roofed courtyard garden. To the north, an open door leads into a kitchen, while a larger room to the south appears to be a bath, holding two large metal tubs, currently empty. There are voices and light coming from the small room to the south-west. The eastern wall is of three painted shoji panels.
Perception:
Kiyomi follows, keeping quiet as she can.
Harlan moves behind the group.
Parity puts a finger to his lips and points to the room to the southwest and then gathers the others, slipping in to the room to the southeast.
Parity leads the group into the southeast room, which turns out to be a bathhouse. Two large wooden tubs dominate the chamber, with pipes leading to the stream outside still under construction. The tubs are currently empty. A single door leads to the main building.
As soon as you pile into the room, outside you hear the samurai guards exit their room and rush outside to aid their companions against the monkey swarm.
Harlan follows the group as they move out of the bathhouse.
"Let's find them quick, those monkeys won't last forever."
Kiyomi smiles. "No they will not. But what music they make while they're here!"
Through the door, you walk into a hallway that circumnavigates the heart of the hunting lodge. Shoji panels open to rooms to the south and east, and to an open air garden in the center. A single door to the north looks like it leads outside.
As you round the corner to the east, a man in black lamellar armor emerges from a room to the northeast. He has an exaggerated, hooked nose (the sign of a yamabushi tengu, like you encountered way back in Brinewall Keep). He spots you immediately, seeing through your invisibility, and shouts out in alarm.
Round 1
HP = 87/87
AC/T/FF = 22/14/19 (25% ignore sneak/critical)
Weapon Equipped = +1 Light Crossbow
Bolts = 35/35
Speed = 15'
Channel = 6/6 (6d6)
Energy Body = 11/11
Oracle Spells Known (CL 12):
Oracle Spells Known (CL 12th; concentration +17)
6th 3/3—mass cure moderate wounds, greater dispel magic, heal
5th 6/6—break enchantment, breath of life*, mass cure light wounds, wall of stone
4th 2/7—air walk, blessing of fervor*, cure critical wounds, holy smite*, restoration
3rd 7/7—cure serious wounds, dispel magic, invisibility purge, magic circle against evil, neutralize poison, stone shape
2nd 7/7—aid, cure moderate wounds, ghostbane dirge*, resist energy, lesser restoration, shield other, spiritual weapon
1st 7/8—bless, burning disarm*, command*, cure light wounds, detect evil, detect undead, sun metal*
0 (at will)—create water, detect magic, detect poison, guidance, light, mending, purify food and drink*, spark*, stabilize
* Save DC = 15 + Level
Status Effects = None
Harlan silently curses his spells meant for shaping stone in a place made of wood and paper.
"Let's get him."
Kiyomi begins to sing of lost love amidst the chrysanthemum blossoms.
Parity slips past Heng, rushing around the corner with his blade held low and stabs upward with a quick enhanced blow. (Vital Strike/Arcane Strike)
Malnival cast haste on himself and his friends.
Harlan blesses the group and Malnival hastens you. Parity and Heng rush forward and strike the tengu hard, though he resists Heng's stunning blow.
Kiyomi begins to sing her inspiring tune. The tengu guard steps back and barks a magic word, teleporting instantly to behind Harlan.
Heng sees five other tengu guards in the entrance hall. They react to their companion's alarm, casting defensive spells that blur their position. All of the tengu give up any pretense of humanity and revert to their natural form: that of a crow-headed, winged humanoid.
***
<<<
Kiyomi continues singing and moves north. As she moves she pulls out the wand of scorching ray and flicks it!
The wand scorches to life and Kiyomi aims two bolts of fire at the Tengu to the south!
for fire!
for fire!
Round 2 Init 19
HP = 87/87
AC/T/FF = 22/14/19 (25% ignore sneak/critical)
Weapon Equipped = +1 Light Crossbow
Bolts = 35/35
Speed = 15'
Channel = 6/6 (6d6)
Energy Body = 11/11
Oracle Spells Known (CL 12):
Oracle Spells Known (CL 12th; concentration +17)
6th 3/3—mass cure moderate wounds, greater dispel magic, heal
5th 6/6—break enchantment, breath of life*, mass cure light wounds, wall of stone
4th 2/7—air walk, blessing of fervor*, cure critical wounds, holy smite*, restoration
3rd 7/7—cure serious wounds, dispel magic, invisibility purge, magic circle against evil, neutralize poison, stone shape
2nd 7/7—aid, cure moderate wounds, ghostbane dirge*, resist energy, lesser restoration, shield other, spiritual weapon
1st 6/8—bless, burning disarm*, command*, cure light wounds, detect evil, detect undead, sun metal*
0 (at will)—create water, detect magic, detect poison, guidance, light, mending, purify food and drink*, spark*, stabilize
* Save DC = 15 + Level
Status Effects = Bless, Haste, Inspired
Harlan quickly steps back and raises his crossbow at the tengu.
"Hey buddy, how's it going?"